This is an ethics problem I was asked in class, once, and that truly stymied me. I wonder what people will answer here. I was reminded of this question thanks to Dr. Love's What Would You Actually Kill For? thread.
Sorry for the crazily long poll options. There was no choice with such a complex question!
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Ethical Dilemma: If You Could Travel Back in Time and Kill a Child-Hitler, Would You?
Poll
No. He's a kid, and he hasn't done anything. I can't kill him for nothing, and I won't interfere with his life in any other way. He should be allowed to make his choices; that's what life is all about.
No. It'd screw up the timeline and might end up causing even more damage in the far future. I wouldn't do ANYTHING. Some things, you just don't mess with.
No. Instead of killing him, I'd try influencing him in some way or, if all else fails, kidnap him and move him to another part of the planet, or hole him up in a bunker somewhere. It's still a crime, but a smaller crime, and might prevent a greater tragedy.
No. I'd bring him BACK TO THE FUTURE...! And then, let's see what happens when he grows up in a different world. We'll keep an eye on him, of course, to make sure he doesn't get out of hand. It'll be the greatest moral experiment of all time.
No. I'd bring him BACK TO THE FUTURE...! Because I need an evil sidekick for my evil master-plan. (Or because I want to be HIS evil sidekick, for HIS evil master-plan.)
Yes. That evil kid is going to grow up to be an evil dictator. Get rid of him NOW! Don't take any chances!
Yes. Even if he isn't necessarily going to end up killing people, I just hate him for what he's done (in my past), and I'd do it as a revenge-killing for all the humans that suffered because of him. DIE, BASTARD, DIE!
Other. (Comment below.)
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Goddess of Song
Member
10:40 am, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 29
Is a female
Member10:57 am, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 3457
Don't mess with time.
Pofigists
Member
11:10 am, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 86
If there wouldn't have been Hitler there would have been other Geman dictator. And even if there wasn't, then there wouldn't be any war machine to stand against the soviets. Everything happens as it is supposed to happen.
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"Computer games don't affect kids....
I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music."
/Kristian Wilson, Nintendo Inc, 1989
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"Computer games don't affect kids....
I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music."
/Kristian Wilson, Nintendo Inc, 1989
Member
11:11 am, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 1041
11:11 am, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 1041
what happened happened
not becouse of hitler
he was just one person of the whole nazi movement
you can not blame the leader
he was put there by someone[the people]
and ALOT of people knew what was going on[not only in germany]
noone stepped up
so no i would not kill him
he is not to blame
he is just the easy hate target
better to kill each and every german and all others who did nothing or even liked what was going on
not becouse of hitler
he was just one person of the whole nazi movement
you can not blame the leader
he was put there by someone[the people]
and ALOT of people knew what was going on[not only in germany]
noone stepped up
so no i would not kill him
he is not to blame
he is just the easy hate target
better to kill each and every german and all others who did nothing or even liked what was going on
Madman
Moderator11:21 am, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 3342
Nope.
History is meant to be learned from.
Not erased and forgotten.
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"“That's the difference between me and the rest of the world!
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History is meant to be learned from.
Not erased and forgotten.
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"“That's the difference between me and the rest of the world!
Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!” "
Inactive Phantom
Member
12:12 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 1078
What Calibre said.
Though if I did go back in time and visited him, I'd encourage him to pursue an artistic career as well.
Though if I did go back in time and visited him, I'd encourage him to pursue an artistic career as well.
Member
12:17 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 422
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu9q4sM1vmc
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Blah
Member
12:45 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 910
I wouldn't mess with time. What happened happened, and we just have to hope that people learned from it.
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Lalala~
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Lalala~
2nd wave MU user
Member12:49 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 7784
I don't think killing him would prevent another
führer from doing the same he did.
Shit could've turned worse.
If you want to save millions of people, you must
first kill millions of people. It's not like anybody
can commit a genocide alone.
It's the people that gives power to the individual in charge.
führer from doing the same he did.
Shit could've turned worse.
If you want to save millions of people, you must
first kill millions of people. It's not like anybody
can commit a genocide alone.
It's the people that gives power to the individual in charge.
Member
12:50 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 448
Yes I would. I dont care if I screw up time. 
And I'd keep going back and as much as I need to killing all evil ppl.
And I'd keep going back and as much as I need to killing all evil ppl. 
MangaFan
Member
12:52 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 148
Yeah.. no messing with timeline. One little change and who knows what may happen.
Let say killing Hitler as a child causes the death of your father before your birth or your own death somehow, but before you get a chance to use the time machine. Then you woldn't go back to kill Hitler and then he would have lived and you would existed up to the point where you use the time machine.
That's time travel paradox for you.
Let say killing Hitler as a child causes the death of your father before your birth or your own death somehow, but before you get a chance to use the time machine. Then you woldn't go back to kill Hitler and then he would have lived and you would existed up to the point where you use the time machine.
That's time travel paradox for you.
Member
1:10 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 641
Quote from tactics
Don't mess with time.
^ That.
Messing with time is never a good thing, so what if you can get rid of Hitler in the past, but which past did you really influence? There are too many variables when it comes to time so it's best to leave it alone if you're thinking of something small scale like this (yes, Hitler is small scale when it comes to time, a few human years is nothing to time).
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Catnapper
Member1:38 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 3503
No, I want to go somewhere else with the time machine! 
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Pofigists
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1:52 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 86
Quote from Whatever
Yes I would. I dont care if I screw up time. And I'd keep going back and as much as I need to killing all evil ppl.
And I'd keep going back and as much as I need to killing all evil ppl. Don't you think that you might kill even more innocent people in the process then Hitler could have ever imagined? For example maybe you really did stop Hitler and WW2, so what would happen? Would progress stop? Of course not people would still invent weapons, a-bombs as well. And here we have a world never experienced an absolutely total war with total destruction with weapons whose destructional power has never been seen in application. So a question what would happen to a world that would start a war with nuclear weapons and then check out what mess it makes instead of ending the war with them and getting the point?
But that's of course total "what if what ifs" theory. In real time travel it would never be possible.
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"Computer games don't affect kids....
I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music."
/Kristian Wilson, Nintendo Inc, 1989
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2:05 pm, Feb 8 2010
Posts: 46
My 1 cents! 2 piece and a biscuit! 2 cents! 5 cents! No, but really...
If you could go back in time, why not kill/capture the adult?
My history reeeeeally sucks, but i was told/taught (maybe someone told me as a joke, and I'm gullible? Can't remember where i heard it) that he committed "suicide" in a bunker, but no one was there to witness...maybe someone really did travel back in time...or he felt guilty. The possibilities.
Again though, my history knowledge is basically none existent so this could be just a waste of space and thought...well it still is, cause no matter the answer, time travel isn't possible...yet. (Or is it!?)
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If you could go back in time, why not kill/capture the adult?
My history reeeeeally sucks, but i was told/taught (maybe someone told me as a joke, and I'm gullible? Can't remember where i heard it) that he committed "suicide" in a bunker, but no one was there to witness...maybe someone really did travel back in time...or he felt guilty. The possibilities.
Again though, my history knowledge is basically none existent so this could be just a waste of space and thought...well it still is, cause no matter the answer, time travel isn't possible...yet. (Or is it!?)
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